Thunderbirds are go
These are my recently completed (with the exception of TB1 - still needs decals) of my TB-1 to TB-5 collection.
These are IMAI kits. Still to get is the pink Rolls Royce as used by Parker and Lady Penelope.
Paints used are a mixture of Vallejo Model Air (light blue & red on TB1, red & silver on TB2, orange red & light grey on TB3, red on TB4, red on TB 5), Revell (Tamiya copper on TB 5 & Revell yellow on TB 4). These were airbrushed and paint brushed. The Silver is Halfords Rattle Can Mercedes silver and the Green was Halfords rattle can Ford green.
Fantastic job on a fun set of kits! I don't know if IMAI and IMEX are the same kits reboxed but I have the IMEX and mine had toy wheels that attach to/through the body. Easy enough to delete them, was your kit the same? (Also, any idea if the Aoshima kits are new tool or reboxes of this kit?) I just got my Thunderbirds DVD set last spring so I've now been able to watch the entire series rather than sporadic episodes. I was actually surprised by the live action movie by Jonathan Frakes. Some fans of the series panned it but I found it very enjoyable. Is seems to take place a bit earlier than the show as Alan and TinTin are still young, in school and Alan is not yet part of the team. (Bill Paxton playing Jeff admonishes him in one scene "No school, no rockets." due to his poor grades.) Ron Cook as Parker was my favorite though.
You might be right re IMAI & IMEX being the same kits reboxed. These did have wheels, but I omitted them and covered the holes with plastic card and filler. The TB3 & 5 came as a set. They do not have wheels, but the TB3 can be placed into the docking bay at the rear of the TB5. The TB2 has a miniature mole and a miniature TB4 tht can be placed in it. The legs of TB2 do not lower vitically, but rather swing to the rear, so they are fixed in the extende position. At a later date I might change that using thin brass tubing.
There is a set out with the more modern versions of the Thunderbirds.
Very nice build! I loved that show when I was a kid, it aired on Saturday mornings and I found the show again on the demand channels on the TV. Even my grandson likes the show!
Thunderbird 2 was always my favorite...
That's a great colllection, excellently built, Phillip!
A must have for me too, as I am a BIG FAN of Thunderbirds!
Nice! A great blast from the past. Besides Thunderbirds there was Fireball XL-5, Supercar, and a few other series using marionettes as there characters.
Thunderbirds are very cool, Phillip (@phillipe50). I have always wondered if it was possible to build all of their vehicles, and you have answered that question. Great job!
George R Blair Jr: you can purchase seperate vehicle kits of some of their rescue vehicles such as the mole and others. These will be larger kits and not the miniatures that go in the TB2 pod.